VOA慢速英語：密切關(guān)注伊朗核會談協(xié)議

World powers have been working for years to limitIran’s nuclear activities. But news reports often fail toprovide details of the nuclear negotiations. Today weexplore some of the issues that the negotiators havebeen discussing.

世界強國用了幾年的時間限制伊朗核活動。但是最近報道都沒有透露協(xié)商會議的具體細節(jié)。今天我們討論幾個協(xié)商中熱烈討論的問題。

Iranagreement targets machinery

Western countries have targeted the equipment thatIran needs to produce plutonium and enriched uranium.Both materials are needed to make a nuclear weapon.

西方國家目標是伊朗國家需要生產(chǎn)錇和濃縮鈾的裝備，這兩種金屬都是制造核武器的重要原料。

Not just any uranium can be used. The metal must bepurified, or enriched. It is first changed into a gas.Workers then place the gas into a machine called a centrifuge. The centrifuge makes the gas spin at veryhigh speeds. The spinning creates the enricheduranium required at nuclear power centers. But if thegas is put in centrifuges for long periods, it become enriched at a much higher level. This highly-enricheduranium can be used in nuclear weapons.

不是所有的鈾都可以使用。制造核武器的金屬必須高度提煉或者濃縮。首先需要把它練成氣體，工人們在把這些氣體集中在一個叫離心機的機器里，離心機使氣體高速旋轉(zhuǎn)，旋轉(zhuǎn)能夠制造核武器中心需要的高濃度鈾。但是如果這些氣體在離心機放置的時間長，就會成為更高濃度的鈾。這種高濃縮的鈾能夠應(yīng)用到核武器中。

Under the agreement, Iran will still have the ability tomake fuel for its nuclear reactors. But it will not bepermitted to enrich uranium for use in nuclearweapons.

在協(xié)議約束下，伊朗依然可以為核反應(yīng)制造燃料。但是不允許為制造核武器提煉鈾。

In April, Iran agreed to a limit of about 6,000 centrifuges.Iran also said it would only enrich uranium at very lowlevels -- under five percent. The country promised tostore no more than 300 kilograms of this “low-enriched”uranium.

四月，伊朗同意將離心機減少到6.000個。并表示本國將百分之五的低層次的提煉鈾。該國承諾這種低濃度的鈾的儲備不多于300公斤。

The April agreement limited research on ways to improve centrifuge designs. It also covered Iran’s ability to produce plutonium, the other bomb-makingmaterial. It required the redesign of a nuclear reactor, so that it can usenatural uranium, instead of the enriched kind.

四月的協(xié)議限制了對伊朗改進了離心機裝備的調(diào)查，同時也掩蓋了伊朗有能力生產(chǎn)另一種金屬鈈同樣可以用來制造爆炸的原料。只是需要重新設(shè)計一下離心機，鈈便可以用作天然鈾，不需要濃縮。

Natural uranium is nearly all U238, the heavier form of the element. When a neutron strikes this form of uranium, the atom will change into plutonium. This “heavy-water” reactor can produce radioactive chemicals used to treatcancer. When the redesign is completed, it will still make those chemicals, but produce much less plutonium.

天然鈾絕大部分是U238，是一種重金屬元素。當(dāng)一粒中子擊打這種類型的鈾，原子將會變成鈈。這種重水反應(yīng)原料能夠產(chǎn)生治療癌癥的放射性元素。當(dāng)這種改裝完成后，它將會接著制造化學(xué)原料，但是生產(chǎn)少量的鈈。

The plutonium formed in the reactor must still be separated from the rest of the fuel. Iran says it will ship “spent” fuel out of the country.

核反應(yīng)堆中的鈈必須和其它原料分開。伊朗稱這種金屬將會為國家?guī)矶嘤嗳剂稀?/p>

Under the new deal, Iran has agreed to increased international inspections of its nuclear activities. The country is also required to provide detailedinformation on all its nuclear activities within three months. Western powershave agreed to lift trade restrictions on Iran. They will also return control ofbillions of dollars to Iran as soon as it meets the requirements of theagreement.

在這項新的協(xié)議下，伊朗不得不同意國際監(jiān)管其核活動。并且伊朗需在三個月提供核武器活動詳情。西方強國同意撤銷對伊朗的貿(mào)易制裁。他們將會把幾千萬的監(jiān)管費盡快歸還給伊朗，使其完成協(xié)議要求。

US officials react to the deal

In Washington, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that theagreement stops Iran from building a nuclear weapon. He said it will make theUnited States, its allies and the world, “safer and more secure.”

在華盛頓，美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬周三表示這項協(xié)議使伊朗停止制造核武器，他表示，這將會使美國及其同盟國乃至整個世界變得更加安全。更加有保證。

Some members of Mr. Obama’s party do not support the agreement. Andmost of his political opponents strongly oppose it. When members ofCongress are given the agreement, they will have 60 days to decide whetherto reject it. The president has said if they do, he will veto the rejection. Thevotes of at least two-thirds of lawmakers are needed to cancel his veto.

奧巴馬政黨中有人反對這項協(xié)議。他政治對手幾乎全都反對這項協(xié)議。國會收到這份協(xié)議后有60天的時間決定是否通過它?？偨y(tǒng)表示，如果國會否決這項協(xié)議，他將否決國會。至少三分之二的立法人員通過才能駁回他的否決。

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

This story was based on reports from VOA science correspondents SteveBaragona and George Putic. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted their storiesfor Learning English. George Grow edited this report.

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Words in the News

spin– v. to turn or move around in circles

reactor – n. a device that produced nuclear energy

radioactive – adj. possessing or producing radiation